Spartans Back In Action Against Chicago State
12/14/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 14, 2006
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
#-/23 Michigan State (9-2)
vs. Chicago State (4-8)
December 16, 2006
7 p.m. EST
East Lansing, Mich.
Breslin Center
Radio: Spartan Sports Network - Will Tieman (Play by Play), Gus Ganakas (Color). Flagship - WMMQ 94.9 FM/WJIM 1240 AM
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Michigan State Game Notes
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The Opening Tip
After a week of academic finals, Michigan State will return to action against Chicago State on Saturday night. The Spartans will look to improve to a perfect 8-0 at home this season and maintain the same defensive intensity that has provided early success. With Raymar Morgan and Maurice Joseph out of the lineup with injuries, the Spartan will be thin in the backcourt. This past Tuesday, Chicago State lost at UW-Green Bay, 92-81.
The Starting Five
1. Spartans Strong At Home - The Spartans are 7-0 at home this season, thanks in large part to outstanding defense, holding opponents to just 47.3 points per game, allowing them to shoot just 31.4 percent from the field, including 30.3 percent from 3-point range. Offensively, the Spartans are shooting 47.5 percent, including 47.6 percent from behind the arc, scoring 71.9 points per contest. MSU's rebounding margin is +15.0 at the Breslin Center.
2. Non-Conference Home Winning Streak - Michigan State has won 22-straight home games against non-conference opponents. MSU's last home loss outside of Big Ten competition was a 72-50 defeat against Duke on Dec. 3, 2003. The Spartans were 7-0 in 2004-05, 6-0 in 2005-06 and 7-0 this year against non-conference teams in the Breslin Center.
3. Spartan Defense Among Big Ten's Best - Michigan State ranks among the top defensive teams in the Big Ten. The Spartans currently lead the league in scoring defense (52.7 ppg), and stand second in field-goal percentage defense (.353) and blocked shots (6.27 bpg), while ranking third in 3-point field-goal percentage defense (.300). Maryland shot a season-high 54.8 percent from the field, and is the only one of MSU's 11 opponents to shoot better than 42 percent from the field, as nine opponents have shot below 40 percent. The Spartans have held four opponents (Brown, The Citadel, Bradley and IPFW) below 30 percent shooting. MSU's defense is also among the nation's best, ranking 6th in scoring defense (52.7 ppg), seventh in field-goal percentage defense (35.3%) and 17th in blocked shots (6.3 bpg) according to the most recent NCAA stats (Dec. 11).
4. Dahlman's Opportunity - With Maurice Joseph and Raymar Morgan both out of the Spartan lineup with injuries, freshman Isaiah Dahlman will see significantly increased playing time. In the two games without Morgan in the lineup, Dahlman has averaged 9.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 29.0 minutes, shooting 7-of-10 from the field. When Joseph missed the second half against BYU with his injury, Dahlman played 18 minutes, recording six points and three assists.
5. Gray Off The Bench - Marquise Gray has not started the last three games, but he has scored in double figures in each game, marking the longest streak of his career. Over the last three contests, Gray is averaging 13.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.7 blocks in just 20.3 minutes, shooting 64.3 percent (18-of-28) from the field. In two games last week, he averaged 14.0 points and 10.0 rebounds.
MSU vs. CSU Notes
Series History - This will be the first meeting between Michigan State and Chicago State.
Coach Jones - Kevin Jones (Eastern Illinois, '87) is 36-78 in his fifth season as head coach at Chicago State. Jones took over the head coaching duties for the Cougars for the final 12 games of the 2002-03 season. In 2003-04, he was named the Mid-Con Coach of the Year after leading CSU to a 9-7 conference mark.
Cougar Notes - Chicago State will play just five of its 29 games at home this season ... CSU is one of just 11 Division I independents ... Junior guard David Holston scored 43 points against St. Bonaventure in the opening game of the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic, breaking the tournament's single-game scoring record ... The Cougars attempt 19.3 3-point field goals per game, led by Holston at 8.1 attempts per game ... CSU has recorded 132 assists and 184 turnovers, posting an assist-to-turnover ratio of 0.7.
Common Opponent - Chicago State lost to Texas, 92-66, at Austin in the College Hoops Classic, while the Spartans defeated the Longhorns, 63-61, in New York in the tournament's semifinals.
Game #11 Notes - Michigan State 76 - BYU 61
* MSU improved to 3-1 in Spartan Clash history and 7-2 at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
* Michigan State recorded 21 assists, marking the third-straight game with at least 20 assists.
* Marquise Gray (15 points, 12 rebounds) and Goran Suton (10 points, 11 rebounds) each recorded a double-double, marking the first time two Spartans had recorded double-doubles in the same game since Matt Trannon and Paul Davis did it against Ohio State on Jan. 15, 2006.
* Gray's 15 points were a career best, while the 12 rebounds tied a career high.
* Drew Neitzel matched his season high with seven assists, while not committing a turnover.
* MSU's bench out-scored BYU's reserves, 25-12.
Michigan State Notes
Nitro's New Role - Last season, Drew Neitzel ranked among the Big Ten leaders in assists, but averaged just 8.3 points per game and attempted just 7.1 shots per game as he distributed the ball to three future NBA players. This year, Neitzel is averaging a team-best 17.4 points per game. In five of the last seven games, Neitzel has scored 20 or more. He is averaging 12.2 shots and 3.7 free-throw attempts per game. Despite taking more shots, he is shooting a career-best 45.5 percent from the field, including 41.8 percent from 3-point range. Meanwhile, he has continued to be a distributor of the ball, averaging 4.7 assists per contest. For his efforts, Neitzel was named the co-Big Ten Player of the Week in on Nov. 20 and Nov. 27. He ranks second in the Big Ten in free-throw percentage (.878), second in 3-point field goals made (3.0 pg), tied for fourth in scoring (17.4 ppg), sixth in minutes played (33.55 mpg), eighth in assists (4.73 apg), ninth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.86) and 11th in 3-point field-goal percentage (.418).
MSU's Block Party - Michigan State has blocked 69 shots through the first 11 games, an average of 6.3 blocks per contest, ranking second in the Big Ten. By comparison, MSU blocked just 101 shots last season in 34 games, an average of 3.0 per game. As recently as 2004, MSU blocked just 54 shots for the entire season. Over the last six games, MSU is averaging 7.3 blocks, recording eight blocks in four of the six contests. The Spartans are led in blocks by Drew Naymick with 20, with Idong Ibok following closely with 17. Since blocked shots were first kept as an official statistic in 1977-78, MSU's greatest single-season total was 133 in 2001.
Hitting The Boards - Michigan State has made a commitment to rebounding in 2006-07, as the Spartans boast a Big Ten-best +11.8 rebounding margin through 11 games, out-rebounding 10 of their 11 opponents. According to the most recent NCAA statistics (Dec. 11), the Spartans rank sixth in the nation (+11.8). MSU's greatest margin came against Youngstown State (+21, 39-18), while Boston College is the only team to out-rebound the Spartans (37-36). MSU's rebound margin has been at least +15 in six games. In two games, the Spartans have grabbed more offensive rebounds than their opponents totaled defensive boards. MSU accomplished this feat against both Youngstown State (MSU - 15 off. reb.; YSU - 9 def. reb.) and Maryland (MSU - 17 off. reb.; UMD - 16 def. reb.). Three different Spartans have grabbed 10 or more rebounds in a game, including Marquise Gray (12 vs. Oakland & BYU), Drew Naymick (10 vs. Bradley) and Goran Suton (12 vs. Youngstown State & 11 vs. BYU).
Neitzel Among All-Time Assists Leaders - Drew Neitzel ranks 10th in MSU history with 338 career assists. With his four assists against Boston College, he moved past Terry Donnelly (321). Neitzel needs 12 assists to pass Kevin Smith (349) for ninth place all-time at MSU.
Morgan Out Of Action - Raymar Morgan is currently out of action with a stress reaction in his right shin. He opened his freshman season with six double-figure efforts, becoming the first Spartan freshman to open his career with six games scoring in double figures. In fact, no other Spartan freshman had scored double figures in more than their first three games. Previously, Sam Vincent (1981-82) was the only Spartan freshman to score 10 or more in his first three games. Morgan is currently the team's second-leading scorer at 11.7 ppg, and has scored in double-figures in eight of his nine contests. He scored a game-high 18 points in MSU's win over No. 19 Texas, and also scored 18 against Bradley.
College Hoops Classic Recap - Michigan State finished second in the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic benefiting Coaches Vs. Cancer. MSU defeated Brown, 45-34, and Youngstown State, 86-61, to advance to the Championship Rounds in New York's Madison Square Garden. In the semifinals, MSU upset No. 19 Texas, 63-61, when Drew Neitzel made a driving layup with 2.4 seconds remaining. The next day, the Spartans lost a close 62-60 decision to Maryland. Neitzel was named the East Lansing Regional MVP and earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team in New York.
Too Many Turnovers - Michigan State has struggled with turnovers through the first 11 games, averaging 15.3 per game. The problem, however, is not due to poor guard play as MSU's starting backcourt of Drew Neitzel and Travis Walton are averaging a combined 4.6 per game. The team has also shown improvement in turnovers over the last three games, averaging 12.3 per contest, including 11 against both Bradley and BYU.
Walton's Improved Play - Sophomore co-captain Travis Walton has been asked to carry a lot of the point guard duties this season. He has responded by posting a 2.61 assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking third in the Big Ten, while ranking fourth in the league in assists (5.45 apg). Recently, he dished out a career-high nine assists against Bradley, while also scoring a career-best 15 points. He is averaging 7.7 assists over the last three games. He has five games with seven or more assists and three games scoring in double-figures, after not scoring more than seven in a game last season. In addition, Walton usually draws the opponent's top perimeter player as a defensive assignment.
Looking For No. 10 - Last year, Michigan State made a ninth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance. It is the longest current streak among Big Ten schools and fifth longest in the nation. Only Arizona (22), Kansas (17), Kentucky (15) and Duke (11) have longer current streaks.
What A Difference A Year Makes - Prior to his injury, MSU guard Maurice Joseph had opened his sophomore campaign on a strong note. Through 11 games, he scored 91 points (8.3 ppg) in 208 minutes (18.9 mpg), including a career-best 16 points vs. Youngstown State. In 2005-06, Joseph scored 16 points for the entire season, playing just 54 minutes. Joseph is just one example of a player having made giant strides for the Spartans since last year. Drew Naymick (14 vs. YSU), Drew Neitzel (26 vs. Vermont), Travis Walton (15 vs. Bradley), Marquise Gray (15 vs. BYU), Goran Suton (18 vs. Boston College) and Idong Ibok (6 vs. BYU) are returning players who have also posted career highs in scoring this season.
A Familiar Situation - While much is made of Michigan State losing three starters to the 2006 NBA Draft, it's encouraging to know that the Spartans are not in an unfamiliar setting. On the stat sheet, MSU returns just 22.4 percent of their points, 30.8 percent of their rebounds, and 40.5 percent of their minutes from last year's team. By comparison, the 2001-02 team returned just 19.0 percent of the points, 18.0 percent of the rebounds and 26.3 percent of the minutes from the 2001 team that won the Big Ten and advanced to the Final Four. In 2002, the Spartans finished just one game out of first place and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. The key was that players stepped up their level of performance: Marcus Taylor went from averaging 7.4 points to being a first-team all-league selection, and Adam Ballinger increased his scoring average from 1.9 ppg to 11.2, securing third-team All-Big Ten accolades.
Backcourt Leadership - Michigan State will be led in 2006-07 by the backcourt duo of Drew Neitzel and Travis Walton, having been voted co-captains by their teammates. Neitzel is MSU's leading returning scorer, having averaged 8.3 points per game last season. He also led the Big Ten in assists in conference games, dishing out 5.56 helpers per contest. Although just a sophomore, Walton is an unquestioned leader on the Spartan squad. He averaged just 1.8 points and 2.4 assists last year, but in just under 20 minutes per game, he provided good defense and solid leadership. Walton becomes the third sophomore captain under head coach Tom Izzo, joining Antonio Smith in 1996-97 and Mateen Cleaves in 1997-98.
Spartans In The NBA - Nine former Spartans were on NBA rosters on opening day of the 2006-07 season. They include Maurice Ager (Dallas Mavericks), Alan Anderson (Charlotte Bobcats), Charlie Bell (Milwaukee Bucks), Shannon Brown (Cleveland Cavaliers), Paul Davis (Los Angeles Clippers), Morris Peterson (Toronto Raptors), Zach Randolph (Portland Trail Blazers), Jason Richardson (Golden State Warriors) and Eric Snow (Cleveland Cavaliers). The nine players on opening day rosters gives MSU the most of any Big Ten school and ranks sixth in the nation behind UConn (14), Duke (13), North Carolina (12), Arizona (10) and UCLA (10).
Winning Freshmen - If there is one common trait for freshmen Isaiah Dahlman, Tom Herzog and Raymar Morgan, it is that they are all winners. Over the last two years, the trio posted a combined mark of 152-8 with their high school teams, winning a combined four state championships. Dahlman was 95-4 over the last three years, including winning 65-straight games at one point, while Braham Area won three-consecutive Minnesota 2A state championships. Morgan led Canton McKinley to back-to-back Ohio Division 1 state championships, becoming the first school to win two straight crowns in Ohio's largest division since 1974. Herzog was 37-3 over the last two seasons, winning a district championship in 2005.
Spartans In The NBA Draft - With three Spartans selected in the 2006 NBA Draft, Michigan State has had 10 players drafted in the last seven drafts, ranking behind only Connecticut (11) and Duke (11). With Maurice Ager and Shannon Brown being selected in the first round, the Spartans have produced six first rounders in the last seven years, ranking behind only Connecticut (8) and Duke (7) and tied with North Carolina.
Experience In The Front Court - While Drew Neitzel is the only full-time returning starter for Michigan State, there are three Spartans in the frontcourt that gained starting experience in 2005-06, combining for 22 starts. Red-shirt junior Drew Naymick started the first seven games of the season before a shoulder injury forced him to miss the rest of the year. Red-shirt sophomore Marquise Gray started nine contests as an athletic power forward, while classmate Goran Suton used his wide array of skills to earn the starting job in six games, including all four postseason contests.
Tough Competition - Michigan State will play nine teams that appeared in the 2006 NCAA Tournament, including five league foes (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio State and Wisconsin) and four non-conference teams (Belmont, Boston College, Bradley and Texas). In addition, five other opponents appeared in the 2006 NIT (BYU, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota and Penn State), making it likely that 20 of the Spartans' 31 regular-season games will be against team that played in the 2006 postseason. For comparison, Michigan State played eight 2005 NCAA Tournament teams last season, six 2004 NCAA Tournament teams in 2004-05 and 10 2003 NCAA Tournament teams in 2003-04, a year which featured one of the most difficult schedules in recent college basketball history.
Winning The Right Way - In Tom Izzo's 11 full years directing the Spartan program, 82 percent of his players who completed their eligibility also left with a degree. In the last seven years, 21 Spartans have received their undergraduate degrees, including five each in 2001 and 2003.
Spartans On TV - Michigan State will have a minimum of 26 games televised in 2006-07, including at least 14 on national television networks (ESPN - 6, ESPN2 - 4, CBS - 3, ESPNU - 1). In addition, the final two regular-season games could be picked up by national networks. MSU will also have one game (vs. IPFW) carried on ESPN360, ESPN's internet broadcast. From 1997-98 to 2005-06, MSU averaged 29 televised games per year, including 18 per season on national television networks. This includes 71 appearances on CBS and 91 on ESPN and ESPN2.
Neitzel On Cousy List - Junior point guard Drew Neitzel is one of 36 Division I candidates for the 2007 Bob Cousy Award. Presented annually by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the award recognizes the top collegiate point guard participating in NCAA Divisions I, II and III. As a sophomore, Neitzel ranked third in the Big Ten in overall assists (5.56 apg) and tied for the conference lead in league games (5.56 apg). Additionally, he led the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.78). The selection committee is comprised of college basketball experts including media members, former coaches and players. Candidates are evaluated on their ability to maximize their team's collective potential, their leadership, their core basketball skills and overall team acheivement. Wisconsin's Kammron Taylor is the only other Big Ten player on the list, which also includes two Division II and one Division III candidates.
The Book On Tom Izzo
Coach Izzo - In his 12th year, Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan, '77) is 264-111 (.704), and 125-55 (.694) in the Big Ten, as the coach of the Michigan State basketball program. With last year's win over Duke in the NCAA Tournament, he passed Benjamin Van Alstyne to become the second-winningest coach in MSU history, trailing only Jud Heathcote (340) in total wins. In his 10 seasons as a head coach, Izzo has won National Coach of the Year honors four times, including the Clair Bee Award in 2005 and NABC honors in 2001. In 1999, Izzo was named National Coach of the year by Basketball Times, while earning similar honors from Associated Press, Basketball News and the USBWA in '98.
Among The Big Ten's Best - Tom Izzo's .694 winning percentage in Big Ten games ranks second all-time among league coaches with at least 10 years of service, behind former Indiana coach Bob Knight (.700). In all games, Knight ranks first at .734, followed by Wisconsin's Walter Meanwell (.712), Purdue's Ward Lambert (.709) and Izzo (.704). With 125 conference victories, Izzo is currently tied for 13th all-time with former Iowa head coach Tom Davis.
Izzo Among Best Ever - Through his first 11 seasons, Tom Izzo won 255 games, ranking ninth in college basketball history for most wins by a college coach in his first 11 years.
Graduating Student-Athletes - In Tom Izzo's 11 full years directing the Spartan program, 82 percent of his players who completed their eligibility also left with a degree. In the last seven years, 21 Spartans have received their undergraduate degrees, including five each in 2001 and 2003.
Izzo's Coaching Tree - Five current Division I head coaches all served as assistants to Tom Izzo, including Tom Crean (Marquette), Brian Gregory (Dayton), Stan Heath (Arkansas), Stan Joplin (Toledo) and Doug Wojcik (Tulsa). Gregory is in his fourth year as head coach, after leaving MSU in the spring of 2003. Crean directed Marquette to the 2003 Final Four, while Heath directed Kent State to the Elite Eight in the 2002 NCAA Tournament. Wojcik is in his second season at Tulsa. Former assistant Mike Garland served as head coach at Cleveland State for three seasons after leaving Izzo's staff in 2003. He is currently an assistant coach at SMU.
Vs. Ranked Opponents - Tom Izzo has a career record of 60-54 against teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. This includes a 53-43 record since 1997-98.
